


Take me to a diner in the middle of nowhere

by acornsandarrows



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, M/M, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acornsandarrows/pseuds/acornsandarrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Early morning is the best time to befriend someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s around two in the morning. You’re lying on the tarmac road outside one of those diners out in the middle of nowhere looking up at the sky. The sun hasn’t risen yet but it’s getting lighter, the clouds above you are looking slightly washed out and there’s a breeze. The diner is open and the neon sign flickers, throwing red onto the path.

 

When you’re up and you've and pushed the door open it’s like you’re stepping into a chilly pool. It’s refreshing and your walk to the counter is leaning towards brisk even though it’s only about six steps from the door.

 

The guy behind the counter has his back to you so you seat yourself on one of the stools and look around. It’s empty, fairly stereotypical with red leather booths and plastic tables. The walls are apple green.

 

“Can I get ya anything?”

 

You spin around and see the guy looking at across the counter.

 

“Coffee please. Strong. With sugar”

 

“Sure thing”

 

He turns away from you again but this time he’s starts talking to you.

 

“So you high or what”

 

“Sorry?”

 

“Well you were lying on the road for a good half an hour at about two in the morning in front of a diner that’s in the middle of nowhere and I don’t see no car”

 

“Oh right. No not high. Or I guess you could say I’m high on life”

 

“Well I could say that but I’m not that kind of douchebag”

 

“Anyway, I just. I don’t know? I live a couple of k’s from here with my Dad but he’s away a lot with his girlfriend? And tonight I guess I couldn’t’ sleep so I just felt like going for a walk because I feel like it always helps me calm down or something. And I saw this place and I wanted some coffee but it was so nice outside and the sky looked really gorgeous so I just. Lay down”

 

“Here’s your coffee”

 

“Thanks”

 

He leans on the counter across from you as you blow gently on the steaming cup and take a sip.

“Isn’t it a bit early for shades?”

 

He readjusts them on his nose and shrugs.

 

“Been working since 11 so as far as I’m concerned it’s not early yet”

 

“Rough shift”

 

“Nah I like it better. Less people coming by and the ones who do are either pretty cool or amusing whether they intend to be or not. Besides, like you said, it’s great outside and sometimes I can go chill in the parking lot”

 

“It probably helps that this place is one the side of a highway”

 

“You’d be surprised how many people start flocking in about two, three pm”

 

“Fair enough”

 

You stand and begin to look in your pockets for change.

 

“Relax”

 

You glance up at the guy whos looking at you over his shades. His eyes are red.

 

“This one’s on the house”

 

“Uh. Huh?” you reply. His eyes are really really red.

 

“For being a cool guy to talk to”

 

“Oh. Oh! Thanks!”

 

“No problem”

 

“Hey by the way I never got your name?”

 

“Dave” he replies, tapping the tag pinned to his shirt.

 

“Wow way to go me”

 

He grins.

 

“I’m John”

 

“Well John. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance”

 

“Whatever nerd” and he grins again. You think you like making him do that.

 

He takes your empty coffee cup and you stand, stretching. You are going to sleeeeep when you get home oh man how great does that sound wow. Your bed is probably your favourite place right now.

 

“I’ll see you around?” you shoot at Dave as you turn to go. He shrugs.

 

“Hey how far did you say you lived from here?”

 

“Like three kilometres or something”

 

“Well” he glances around the empty building. “Chances are I’m not going to be seeing anyone else soon so if you wanted I could drive you”

 

“But Dave! What about stranger danger?”

 

“Shut up” he walks around the counter and dangles his keys in front of you.

 

“Are you sure it’s ok?”

 

“Yeah man. This place is dead and besides it’ll only take 15-20 minutes max”

 

“Thanks then”

 

“No problem”

 

                                                                                                                                  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey kids

“Ahoy”

 

You open your eyes and then shut them quickly. You must have fallen asleep on the pavement (good thing it wasn’t the road this time). The sun is shining somewhere above you and when you open your eyes for the second time you do so far more cautiously.

 

Dave is leaning on a metal pole next to you, watching as you pick yourself off the path.

 

“You all good there sleeping beauty?”

 

“Shut up”

 

“Why is it that every time we meet you’re lying on the ground”

 

“We’ve met twice and last time you only watched me through the glass like the creepy creep you are! We only met properly when I came inside”

 

“Whatever. Coffee?”

 

You take it from him and sip.

 

“Yknow you won’t be able to keep doing this when winter comes around”

 

“Obviously. I’ll be at home studying”

 

“What school?”

 

“Uh. Skaia Uni?”

 

“Ah”

 

“Do you go there?”

 

“Nah. I’m doing one of those online uni courses”

 

“What are you majoring in?”

 

“Photography. But also some biology on the side because I love dead stuff”

 

“There’s a sex joke somewhere in there”

 

“That’s not what your mom said last night”

 

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

 

“So it’s ironic humour”

 

“No it’s just a bad joke”

 

“Egbert you don’t have to be so touchy just because my superior wit is too hard for you to grasp”

 

“Ugh. How do you even know my last name?”

 

“It was on the mailbox bro”

 

“Right right”

 

“So are you actually going to come into the diner or what”

“After you”

 

Dave pushes through the door, and you follow, sipping on your coffee. He begins washing his own mug and you think (you hope) he’s whistling quietly.

 

“Housewife much?”

 

“If I was your housewife I’d be yelling at you about wearing shoes inside”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“No shoes on the carpet man. Striders no. 1 rule”

 

“So. Dave Strider. Mr. Strider”

 

“No. So how’d you end up on the pavement today”

 

John shrugged.

 

“Same reason. Although I guess I must have been a lot more tired today because of yesterday because I think I slept for like two hours”

 

“Yeah it’s about five to five now”

 

“What time does your shift here finish?”

 

“Around six usually”

 

“How many days do you work?”

 

“Sunday to Thursday most weeks. That’s why an online course is good because morning lectures and stuff like that would just be undoable. Also beauty sleep is only for ugly people. As you can see I do not have any need for it”

 

“Come on you know all that matters is on the inside”

 

“I can’t hear you over my angelic features

~

I’m calling an intervention”

 

Dave is sitting next to you staring at the empty road.

 

“You’re not my mom”

“Dude seriously, you can’t keep doing this”

 

“You do it!”

 

“Yeah because I’m nocturnal. I sleep from like 12-10 most days”

 

“But how else can we hang?”

 

He looks over at you.

 

“Is that seriously why you’ve been coming every morning”

 

“You got a problem with that?”

 

He shakes his head and fishes in his pocket for a pen before grabbing your arm.

 

“Wait I have paper in my jumper!”

 

“Yeah but this is way cheesier”

 

“I thought the point was to avoid being cheesy”

 

“Maybe for people who aren’t insanely cool”

 

“Right”

 

“You have my number now ok you can call me when you want to hang instead of fucking up your sleep schedule”

 

“Aw Dave don’t worry about me so much!”

 

“You’re an ass”

 

“Coming from you that’s a compliment”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeahyeahyrahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah

Maybe inviting Dave over the next day was a bit excessive. But whatever! You’re way too excited to regret it now, you have everything set up perfectly. It’s around 8 and you slept the whole night through for the first time in a while so when Dave shows up you’re a fair bit perkier than he’s seen so far.

 

“No more caffeine for you ever”

 

He decides after opening the living room door and getting a bucket of feathers in his face. (You admit feathers is a bit weak but there are no changes of clothes for Dave here and anyway your True Asshole side can only be revealed once you’re sure Dave is worthy.)

 

“So what do you want to do?”

 

“We could play video games. Or watch movies. Or build a pillow fort”

 

You stop for a second. “Or we could do all three”

 

“Sounds like a plan”

 

 You grab two chairs from the dining table and then like the two couches up parallel facing outwards. Then you have Dave run upstairs and get your pillow and blanket, while you get a bowl of the finest delicacy offered: whatever the hell you have in your fuckin fridge. Turns out Dave has a soft spot in his heart for doritos so you’re all good.

 

The two of you watch movies and play Mario kart until around eleven, by which time Dave has taken his shades off, brow furrowed with concentration. It got a lot harder to concentrate on the games after that, but it didn’t make much of a difference.

 

“Ok ok! You are the ultimate Mario kart champion and as your prize you get to pick the next thing we do” you say lying down on the blanket spread over the floor. Dave stifles a yawn behind his hand and blinks.

 

“Right. For my next trick I will order you to put on the best movie you have and get more food”

 

“Dude it’s like eleven or whatever do you want to go to sleep? You can hang here it’s ok”

 

“Nah it’s cool Egbert” he waves his hand lazily “What kind of gentleman would I be to try and take advantage of you in your own home? Your room has probably never been gazed upon by eyes as unpure as mine. Like I’m pretty sure if I even tried to get into your room again we’d find that your angry unicorn friend is blocking our path and neighing ‘only virgin maidens shall pass’ and you will walk by, the beautiful flower that you are but alas I shall remain, a knight in his kingdom of shame”

 

“So you’ve done it?”

 

He shrugs, before giving you an over-the-top wink.

 

You throw a pillow at him.

 

“Your best movie” he calls, his voice muffled by the pillow, so you sigh, and slide ‘Con Air’ into the dvd player.

Dave’s head jerks up and he looks suspiciously from the screen then back to you.

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Serious how?”

 

“Con Air”

 

You don’t think you’ve ever seen someone look so unimpressed.

 

“Yeah! You asked for my best movie and I provided”

 

“No. No, dude, when I said best movie I meant legitimately the best one you have like Inception or something. I didn’t mean I want to spend an hour and a half watching Nic Cage’s greasy mug parade across my line of vision I may work at a diner during ungodly hours of the morning but that doesn’t mean I don’t have standards”

 

You roll your eyes and lie down on your stomach next to Dave, who, after five minutes more muttering, resigns himself to watching the movie. About half way through, something heavy and warm drops onto your shoulder. You glance across to see a mass of pale blonde hair resting in the curve of your neck. Carefully, gently, you slide your shoulder out from beneath his head, pause the movie, then cover him up with the second blanket you found on the couch. He murmurs something in his sleep and nestles into the blanket.

 

~

“Sleeping Beauty has awakened!” You note as Dave pads into the kitchen.

 

“I was afraid I was gonna have to kiss you” you add as he accepts the glass of water you were holding.

 

“What’s the time?” he asks, glaring at you.

 

You chuckle “It’s almost nine o’clock. And a Friday so you don’t have to work”

 

“Still though, I should probably head home”

 

Your smile slips a bit which is weird. You knew Dave was going to have to go home eventually! You actually thought he would go home a lot sooner but you suppose if he’s asleep that doesn’t really count as hanging out anyway. You hitch it back up but maybe Dave notices because he smirks a bit.

 

“Relax Egbert I just have so finish this assignment tonight. I’m assuming that while I was asleep you put your number in my phone?”

 

Dang. How did he know? Although he’ll have a hard time working out who is who now.

 

“I’ll call you sometime ok” and you nod

 

“Ok but make sure you leave enough time so you don’t seem desperate”

 

“But I miss you already”

 

You roll your eyes and walk him to the front door.

 

“Gnight Dave”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter but another one will be out tomorrow probably

The first time Dave calls you you’re surprisingly nervous. You’ve never been one for phone calls, and for some reason the fact that it’s Dave makes that small bead of anxiety grow five times in size. He soon realises that communicating that way wasn’t your favourite, however, and your phone is rapidly buzzing with texts.

 

It was the start of term before long, and after a while you found you had to leave your phone in your bag during class or Dave’s messages would distract you easily. You didn’t really mind though, and found yourself thinking wistfully of the conversations you could be having while the media studies professor droned on about the importance of certain shot angles.

 

Dave invites you over for a star wars marathon and you bring vodka (take a shot everytime Luke mentions his incestuous feelings for Leia) and that’s the first time you see him laugh so hard he cries. You go to school the next day with a splitting headache and a grin to match. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sage u lil fuck

You push open the door of the diner, groaning.

 

“You’d think teaching piano to little kids would be fun and totally worth the money earned doing it right?”

 

When there’s no reply you look around, frowning. Dave’s standing at the counter talking to a girl with her back to you. She says something and Dave flashes her a quick smile and your stomach feels painfully hot. You’re about to walk back out quietly when Dave looks over her head and spots you.

 

“Eggs”

 

“Strider”

 

The girl at the counter turns around and smiles at you with strangely pointed teeth.

 

“Hey!” she calls “I’m Terezi”

 

“John” you cross the floor, hand extended and she takes it.

 

“That was the most adult thing I’ve seen in my entire life” Dave notes, glancing up from the plate he’s washing.

 

“Can you even see in this dark?” you ask, seating yourself cautiously next to Terezi. It’s your second time coming to see Dave at around the eleven pm mark and last time you walked in to find him with his sunglasses perched atop his head. The radio was playing ‘We are not alone’ and you pulled him up onto the bench top to do the dance sequence from The Breakfast Club (the only movie you can both watch without Dave’s snide commentary or your scathing nit-picking).

 

“I’ve told Dave time and time again that one day he’s going to need to defuse those shades from his face” Terezi, shaking her head. “But to this day I’ve only seen him without them once”

 

You look curiously at Dave who turns around, asking over his shoulder

 

“You want anything?”

 

“Nah I’m good” you reply, the pit in your stomach cooling slightly.

 

“So how do you guys know each other?” you ask, watching Terezi tap the counter with long nails. Terezi snorts.

 

“We met on an online dating website”

 

“Uh”

 

Dave reaches over and flicks her deftly on the forehead.

 

“I should mention” she continues after sticking her tongue out at him “that I was pretending to be his boyfriend. Now ex-boyfriend” she adds.

 

“Now your boyfriend” Dave mumbles and Terezi gave an exclamation that could only be described as a cackle.

 

“But you guys are still friends?” you ask, fighting the urge to yell DAVE LIKES DUDES. You really don’t know why that fact is resonating with you so deeply, it should be completely unimportant to you. Are you a queerophobe? Dave looks over at you and you catch his eye behind his shades. Your stomach trips and you give yourself a mental shake. Definitely not that.

 

“He just couldn’t manage without me” Terezi grins, pushing herself off her chair. “I should get going” she announces, pulling Dave close, and, to your utter bewilderment, licking his cheek. He swats her away and she ducks out, laughing.

 

You watch as she walks out before turning to Dave, both eyebrows raised high.

 

“It’s a habit” he shrugs.

 

You continue to look at him until he sighs

 

“She used to be blind, and she’d say she could smell and taste colours. So she’d always lick people so ‘see’ them, but then this asshole abusive boyfriend she had convinced her to get eye surgery and she did, but she still does it out of either habit or nostalgia”     

 

“How’d you guys manage to stay friends even though she’s dating your ex?”

 

He shrugs.

 

“I’m over him. They’re kind of perfect together, and anyway I. Am over him”

 

You grin.

 

“Do you lliiiiiike someone?”

 

“Yeah” he sighs. “His name’s Dave Strider. I don’t think he even knows I exist but. God. If I was anyone with any sense I’d probably be macking on him all the time 24/7”

 

“Would you now?”

 

“You know it”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE ARE U HAPPY NOW


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final chapter yo (and ps you guys are the sweetest but dw you can stop telling me to make it a multi chapter fic it has 6 chapters ok)

You open your eyes to see Dave lying on the tarmac next to you looking up at the sky. You roll over onto one elbow and look at him. His shades lie on the ground next to him so when he looks over at you you’re once again amazed at their colour. 

“How’re things” 

“Pretty good over here thanks” you flop back down, looking at the sky too. You stretch your arms out, and your fingertips brush Dave’s shoulder. Carefully, without looking at Dave, you guide your hand down to the end of his sleeve, and poke his hand. He flicks at your fingers, and you slap him lightly. He slaps you back and you laugh and slowly slide your hand into his. You hold your breath, feeling him still, but then his fingers intertwine with yours and you smile, breathing out steadily. You lie on the ground together, looking up at the washed out blue sky. The morning is still and quiet, and the neon red from the diner’s sign spreads over the two of you. The light flickers, and you feel a breeze. 

(After work Dave drives to your house and when he opens the door he gets a bucket of water on him but when he tries to be angry you grab his sodden shirt and kiss him and it’s a little cold but he tastes like apples and maybe it’s the best thing in your entire life)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short but sweet i hope!!!!  
> also yes tz's bf and dave's ex bf is karkat (multishipping yo)


End file.
